The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-02-26

The fact is patent that the great
church is not reading the most ancient
books as it once did. The fresher schol-
arship, the newer criticism, while not
slavish in its reverence, is doing deal
to bring the hearts of men closer to the
life of four thousand years ago. The
scanty literature of long periods of
time, the dim distance of Israelitish
social life, and the faint glimmer which
kept the eyes and faces of the few right
eous, forward and upward, are all
brought before us in the last score of
years, as they have not been. The time
of destructive criticism has passed. 1t
was the extreme of long enforced ideas
of inspiration and revelation. But now
a firmer grasp is upon the church at
large, in which the discoveries in
science, geography and archaeology, are
playing an important part. Genesis is
being read and interpreted, but not in
all it's parts, as it was only few years
ago. There has been change, and we
cannot believe there has been a step
backward. Fifteen years ago, our Sab
bath-schools began the systematic study
of Genesis; eight years ago the study
was renewed, and now is third time.
Each Of these studies has marked an
advancement. And right glad are we
to note this influence upon the minds
of the children of the church.
The liberal churches herein have an
opportunity of giving literature, and
of instructing their young, which all
others combined do not have. The
liheraz sen0r 0rainatienss asxsE,. hassahsld
the books Of the ancient, and of the
newer dispensation, to stand upon an
equal footing. They have been willing
to the utmost to maintain that each
and every book of the Word named sa-
cred, contains revelation" The
church at large is now fast coming to
the idea that it contains" rather
than in it's entirety ''is'' revelation of
God, righteousness and immortality.
In the light of such thought, are
we earnest in the task of spreading
abroad the influence we should, in be-
half of interpretations upon which we
are so confident the world is approach
ing. The story of Noah and the ark,
and many like it are in all our minds.
Perhaps we have been treating them too
lightly, remembering what has been
written of them by the past worthless of
the church. The conservative people
we left behind few years ago, are fast
catching up with us; but there is a
need of a skirmish line. We too, have
a most noble work in giving to men
help and scholarship, such as the faith
ers gave, which has been instrumental
in raising the church to it's present
standard. The task of the liberal
church is still to heighten the standard
of interpreting the Book which each
and all acknowledge to be the greatest
the world has known. The "Biblical
chronology is the best we know, when
we come to treat the sacred writings
historically. The students of the same,
to-day, would come no nearer than was
given two hundred and seventy five years
ago. But this is not so needful. There
is history in the Old Testament. This
we must read as history. There are
things in the Old Testament which are
not historical. If we apply "chronol-
ogical test'' to them, we fail in our
purpose. The older interpreters would
give almost the exact number of years
before Christ that Noah lived, and
that Adam and Eve began peopling the
earth. The work of the liberal inter-
prefer is to do more than cut away the
chronological and historical test. He
must, if he has any chance in winning
the race, put forth scholarship which
will unfold an categorical test,'' which
viii bring the remotest human life in
harmony and accord with the lives of
to-day.
The law is as true to-day as then,
that they who do unjustly bring to
themselves condemnation. This is the
story told in the generations of Cain,
going to and fro wandering in other
parts; while it islikewise grandly true,
that they who love righteousness and
are righteous receive to themselves the
best blessings of earth, and are saved
from the storms and tempests of life.
The descendants of Seth are confirming
the statistics of the nineteenth century,
on the perpetuity of goodness in the
veins of succeeding generations. Against
purity and righteous living there is no
law. An enforcement, and there is no
strained meaning in it, of the idea that